MotorTrend unanimously named the Tesla Model S its "Car of the Year," echoing our own sentiment that the all-electric sedan is more than a great EV. It's a great car.
The S outshone 11 finalists ranging from competition stalwarts such as the BMW 3 Series and Porsche Boxster to hot newcomers like the Subaru BRZ. The magazine's editor-at-large (and former editor-in-chief) Angus MacKenzie summed it up when he said, "At its core, the Tesla Model S is simply a damned good car you happen to plug in to refuel."
It's a massive win for Tesla and a massive departure for MotorTrend, which has handed out its Car of the Year for 64 years. As you'd expect, this is the first winner without a traditional combustion engine. More importantly, it is the first time the magazine's judges unanimously agreed on a winner.
Company CEO Elon Musk was, as you'd expect, ecstatic.
“Our aspiration with the Model S was to show that an electric car truly can be better than any gasoline car, which is a critical step towards the widespread adoption of sustainable transport,” Musk said in a statement. "Nothing illustrates this more clearly than winning MotorTrend’s Car of the Year by unanimous decision against a field of exceptional competitors."
We couldn't agree more with MacKenzie and the crew at MT. We spent several days with the S -- Musk's personal car as it happened — and can wholeheartedly say it a spectacular car that signals a shift in both the automotive world and American manufacturing.
